Improvement in projectiles



N. SGHOLFIELD.

Bomb Lance. No 15,577. Patented Aug 19,1856.

N.PEI'ERS. FNOTO'LITHDGEAPHER. WASHINGTON n, C.

lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

N. SGHOLFIELD, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEM ENT IN PROJECTILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 15,577, dated August19, 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, NATHAN SCHOLFIELD, of Norwich, in New London county,and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Mode ofConstructing and Applying Wings to Govern the Direction of Projectiles;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and action of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is aview of a projectile fitted with the wings.

The projectile is cylindrical in form, but pointed at the anteriorextremity, A.

a b c are wings, made of thin sheet-brass or very light tin, with oneedge, (I, Fig. 2, folded around a piece of stiff wire, 6 f, of smallsize, which, extending beyond the sheet in each direction, forms thejournals 0 and f, by which they are connected to recesses in the surfaceof the projectile, and are allowed to fold down on the surface or torise up and assume radial positions thereon. These wings, instead ofplane, present slightly curved surfaces, such that, when folded down onthe surface of the projectile, as the wing b, the posterior end of thewing may coincide with the surface of the projectile or seat to which itis fitted, while its anterior extremity, b, is in some degree raisedabove.

The wings are made much widerin the rear than forward, and are fitted soas to open freely from the surface of the projectile to planesperpendicular thereto, in which position they are prevented from movingfarther by the edges of the grooves in which their axes are fitted.

7b is a ring or collar of metal, (shown in section at Fig. 3,) and isperforated to receive the journals of the wings, while holes are drilledfor the journals at the forward extremities at the ends of the groovesjust beneath the surface of the projectile.

m is a ring of leather or other suitable ma-' terial, accurately fittedto the bore of the gun or ordnance from which it is to be projected,while there is allowed a certain. amount of windage on the cylindricalpart of the projectile.

a is a screw designed to secure the two rings described above in theirplace.

In placing this projectile in the gun the wings are folded down at therear end, and as it passes in the forward parts of the wings pressslightly by their elasticity on the surface of the bore in consequenceof their partial elevation forward, when their rear ends are closeddown; and when projected therefrom by the force of the powder, as soonas relieved they are partially opened forward, when, by the rapid flightof the projectile through the air, they are suddenly expanded as wingsto guide and preserve its parallelism, and by the slight curve given tothe wings to insure their expansion a motion of rotation about its axisis imparted by the action of the curved surfaces of the wings on theair, and thus the most perfect and unerring aim of the projectile issecured.

1 deem four wings to be the most proper number to be applied, and in aprojectile ten inches long and one inch in diameter the wings may befour inches in length, threeeighths of an inch wide at the rear, andoneeighth inch at the forward end.

The wings may have plane instead of curved surfaces, and still producenearly the same effeet by giving them positions slightly diagonal on thecylindric surface of the projectile, having the forward journals of thewings set slightly aside, and in such positions that when they havebegun to open a current of air parallel to the axis of the projectilewill press on the under side of the wing and tend to open it fully.

With this construction, if the swinging edge of the wing is allowed toset :free or to be slightly raised by a spring, so that the air can passunderneath, then by its rush through the air the wings will be opened,when by a pressare of air on the closing side of the wings a rotarymotion of the projcctileis produced, as before.

If it is desired for any cause to avoid the rotary motion, this may bedone by the same wings set in pairs opening in opposite directions.These would preserve the parallelism of the projectile, but wouldneutralize the tendency to a motion of rotation.

Spiral or other springs may be used to open the wings.

These wings are applicable to missiles of any kind with a cylindric orprismatic form,

or with forms approaching nearly to this character, and may be used forthe heaviest ordnance, for large or small shot and bombs for militarypurposes, and also for killing whales.

The advantages of the application will appear from the following: Themetal composin g a spherical shot of any given diameter will, when putinto a cylindric form of half that diameter, be equal in length to twoand two-thirds of the same diameter. This would beprojected from a gunof half the caliber of the former, containing, when properlyproportioned with extra proportional strength, about one-third theweight of metal of the former, but allowing for and guarding against theeffects of recoil on the discharge, supposing the weight of metal shallbe equal to two-thirds of the former. The weight of powder may besomething less for this than for a spherical shot of the same metal. Theresistance of the atmosphere, if its forward end is a hemisphere, isonly onefourth of the former, or perhaps a little less, for theresistance of the air on bodies moving through it increases in a littlehigher ratio than the penetrating surface, and by giving the projectilea proper pointed form the resistance would be reduced about one halfmore, so that the proper direct resistance suffered by the projectilewould be but about one eighth of that of the same metal in a sphericalshape; but the resistance arising from friction would besomewhatincreased with the surface, from which it is evident that the range ofthe shot would be greatly increased as well as its accuracy, and itsefficiency in penetrating any obstacle would be increased in a very highratio, so that no practical bulwark, however strong, would be able toresist the action of large shot.

The common musket with this shot would be more efiicient in a longdistance than the best rifle. Heavy bombs could be thrown to a muchgreater distance and with more certain aim. The bomb for killing whaleswould weigh about t\V6llt Y-fi"8 percent. less than such as are now usedfor that purpose carrying the same amount of powder, as in this weshould dispense with the shank and its appendages to guide the bomb,placing these wings on the cylindric surface of the bomb itself, andalso save expense in fitting up, and the bomb might be projectedeflectually and do execution to a much greater distance, for in this alarge part of the atmospherical resistance is avoided by dispensing withthe shank, which has an enlargement at its rear extremity, increasinggreatly its resistance. Consequently, a whalebomb fitted with thesewings, and of a given capacity for powder, will weigh less, will requirea much smaller charge to project, will cause less recoil in the gun,will do efficient execution at a much greater distance, and can befitted more cheaply than the whale-bombs now used.

I do not claim the use of the folding wings on a projectile to guide andgovern its direction, as these have been before used when thrown up'bysprings; neither do I claim their spiral position 011 the projectile;but

\Vhat I do claim as my invention, and for which I solicit LettersPatent, is-

1. The construction of the guiding-wings for a projectile to be firedfrom a gun of thin sheets of metal, having one of their edges foldedaround a piece of wire, or its equivalent, to form journals, on whichthe wings may turn as joints.

2. Applying these wings, either curved or plane, on the cylindricsurface of a projectile, and either parallel to its axis or diagonally,in such form and position that the said wings may be closed down on thecylindric surface, or on grooves thereon fitted to receive them, and bythe action mainly of the air on the wings as the projectile isdischarged they shall be opened or expanded, substantially as abovedescribed.

3. The application of wings, as above described, either with slightsprings to force them from close contact with their seats when leftfree, so as to allow the air to act thereon to perfect their expansion,or by havin a free passage for air beneath the wings, and giving them aslight inclination diagonally on the cylindric surface and withoutsprings.

4. The construction and application of these wings slightly curved,composed of metal possessing sufficient elasticity to resume theircurved form after being changed therefrom, .-o that if, while its rearend rests on its seat, the forward end of the wing is elevated therefromwhen free, then, if this end is also pressed down to its seat, it shallbe raised again by its elasticity when left free from pressure, so thatthe action of the air on the exposed curve of the wings will force themopen to their greatest capacity after being discharged from a gun.

NATHAN SOHOLFIELD.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J AS. LYNMAN, LEVI H. GODDARD.

